Method of making circuit with conductive and non-conductive raised features

Abstract

A method of making a circuit with raised features includes the steps of: forming a mandrel having a plurality of depressions therein; coating said mandrel and depressions with a coating that is readily separable from the mandrel and said depressions; forming a pattern of circuit traces on said coating and in a first subset of said depressions; forming a substrate on said traces; adding a material to said coating at least in a second set of said depressions not containing circuit traces; removing said traces, said substrate, said material and said coating from said mandrel wherein a plurality of raised features project from a plane of said circuit traces; and removing the coating from said traces, said raised features, said material and said substrate, wherein a first subset of said raised features comprises conductive raised features and wherein a second subset of said raised features comprises nonconductive raised features.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of making a circuit with raised features comprising the steps of: forming a mandrel having a plurality of depressions therein;   coating said mandrel and depressions with a coating that is readily separable from the mandrel and said depressions;   forming a pattern of circuit traces on said coating and in a first subset of said depressions;   forming a substrate on said traces;   adding a material onto said coating at least in a second set of said depressions not containing circuit traces;   removing said traces, said substrate, said material and said coating from said mandrel wherein a plurality of raised features project from a plane of said circuit traces; and   removing the coating from said traces, said raised features, said material and said substrate, wherein a first subset of said raised features comprises conductive raised features and wherein a second subset of said raised features comprises non-conductive raised features.   
     
     
       2. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 1, wherein said second subset of said raised features comprises a tacky material. 
     
     
       3. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 2, also comprising the step of: pressing the substrate and traces against an additional structure, wherein said tacky material of the second subset of said raised features attaches to the additional structure, holding the additional structure in place.   
     
     
       4. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 3, wherein said additional structure is permanently held in place by said tacky material of the second subset of said raised features. 
     
     
       5. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 3, wherein said additional structure comprises an integrated circuit chip. 
     
     
       6. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 1, wherein said second subset of raised features comprises a light-transmissive material. 
     
     
       7. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 1, wherein said second subset of raised features comprises a thermoplastic adhesive. 
     
     
       8. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 1, wherein said step of adding the material to said coating at least in the second set of depressions is achieved by laminating the substrate on the traces, wherein material from the substrate flows into the second set of depressions during the lamination. 
     
     
       9. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 1, wherein said coating is electrically conductive. 
     
     
       10. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 1, wherein said mandrel is electrically conductive. 
     
     
       11. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 1, wherein said mandrel is not electrically conductive. 
     
     
       12. A method of making a circuit with raised features according to claim 11 also comprising the step of: pressing the substrate against an additional structure, wherein said second subset of said raised features spread a load resulting from said pressing to a plurality of points on a surface of the additional structure, whereby the pressing may be achieved using increased force while reducing a risk that the additional structure will be damaged.